Grant will fund unified track and field, basketball teams at Wellesley High School

Tuesday

Jul 25, 2017 at 1:10 PMJul 25, 2017 at 1:10 PM

Jeff Malachowski Daily News Staff @JMalachowskiMW

MARLBOROUGH – Special Olympics Massachusetts received a $4,500 grant from The Fund for Wellesley for a Unified Champion Schools program at Wellesley High School.

The Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools program engages schools to create a climate of inclusion, acceptance, respect and human dignity for all students with and without intellectual disabilities. The Unified Champion Schools approach incorporates Special Olympics sports and related activities while enhancing the youth experience and empowering them to be change agents in their communities.

The unified model provides more opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities to compete and a chance to connect those with and without disabilities.

Wellesley High School’s new program will use unified track and field and basketball teams to bring students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities together. The teams have student leadership and engage in a whole school initiative to reject the derogatory use of the “r-word.”

School and Special Olympics Massachusetts leaders will designate an official school liaison and track and field coach, name unified student leaders and recruit student-athletes to begin training and competition in track and field in the spring and basketball in the fall.

Through the process of making high school sports a more inclusive environment, students with intellectual disabilities will have more access and feel more comfortable participating in a number of athletic endeavors. Research shows that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often left out of social activities, including sports. They are often less physically active than their peers, which can lead to increased risk of chronic health conditions.

One contributing factor is that too often high school sports are only offered to the best and most talented individuals. As a result, many people with disabilities remain inactive and on the sidelines, further contributing to sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles.

For more information on the program visit www.specialolympicsma.org.

Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.